


The Nameless

by MCEWEN



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alinash, Gen, Kingsfall, Knights of Naren books, ruby - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 07:54:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13922715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MCEWEN/pseuds/MCEWEN





	The Nameless

Alinash pushed his way through the crowds that had gathered in the largest square in Kingsfall outside of the palace. He hated name days. He didn’t have one to celebrate himself. His name was unofficial, given to him by a whore who had taken pity on him when she found him abandoned in the slums on the western side of the city. He had been three or four at the time. It was difficult to tell, and he didn’t remember. Neither did he remember his name. He had refused to talk for almost a year after she had found him, and by then, his new name had already embedded itself in his brain. He couldn’t remember being called anything else. He was unsure of his age as well. Twenty, twenty-one maybe.

Of course, having an unofficial name caused all sorts of trouble when dealing with official things. If he was caught, at his age, unnamed and possibly untested for magic, he would likely be imprisoned for not having adhered to the rules. He couldn’t work. He couldn’t travel to certain areas. He couldn’t marry — not that anyone would want him. Jobless and unofficially named, his main income came from stealing, and tonight, despite his hate of the holiday itself, the quarterly festival gave many opportunities for ‘accidental’ bumping and stealthily lifting wallets out of pockets and purses. Tonight was no exception. He’d already run back to his shack once to empty his bag, burying his treasures in a hole he had dug under the bed he had made out of old boards and torn blankets. His second bag was filling quickly.

He jostled against someone dancing, his hand darting in an exposed pocket, and pulling out a small coin purse. The people who danced to the musicians playing on the stage were some of the easiest targets. He also enjoyed pretending not to watch where he was going, and running into people. While helping them pick up things, or regaining their balance, he’d check as many pockets as he could. He slipped the small coin purse into the bag he carried and continued on through the crowd of dancers, picking the pockets as he went.

Ten minutes later, he decided he had enough to sell and feed himself for at least two months. He began to make his way back to the slums and was almost to his shack when he heard a tiny cry. He looked around for the noise, turning his head and flicking his ears, waiting to hear it again. He waited a few minutes, but only heard the sound of the party in the center of the city.

He turned and started to head back to his shack. He stopped when he heard it again. It sounded like a small child crying. He didn’t see any children in the path between the flimsy shacks. Perhaps it was inside one of them. Satisfied with that possibility, he continued to his shack.

He moved aside the bed and dropped his loot in the hole with the previous trip’s earnings. Then he heard it again. A small cry coming from nearby. He walked back to his doorway and looked out. Again, he saw no children, but then he heard it again. A soft sob coming from around the corner. He looked between his shack and the next, and that’s where he saw her.

Her brown hair was done up, and her red and white dress had streaks of dirt on it. She was definitely not from the area. Her tiny elven ears were just starting to stick out properly.

“Hello? What’s your name?” Alinash asked, hoping she was old enough to talk and understand the question. He had no idea how to tell how old a kid was.

The girl scooted away from him but didn’t get up and run. Was she old enough to run? Her legs were so tiny.

“Do you know where you’re from?” He tried again to get some sort of answer from her while kneeling down, hoping he wouldn’t scare her.

“Mama” the girl sobbed.

She at least knew one word. Alinash didn’t find it was very helpful. He needed more information. “Where? Where is mama?”

The girl pointed the opposite direction. Alinash stood and stepped over her as he moved through the tiny space between the shacks. Most adults wouldn’t have fit, but he was not large. He stopped when the girl grabbed his leg.

“No!”

“No?” Alinash was close enough to the other side to peek out around the edge. He listened to the girl try to explain.

“Mama.” It was all she said again as she picked up a small rock, and hit the ground with it.

There were lots of unsavory types in this part of the slum. If the mother was dressed up as much as her daughter was, and took a wrong turn, he had no doubt something bad happened. Of course, he had even more questions now. Was her mother still alive? Was she hit with a rock, or was the girl just playing with the rock? Where was the father? Did she have other family? He saw nothing in the path on the other side. The girl continued her sobbing.

He made his way back to the side his door was on and knelt down again, not sure what to do. He couldn’t take her to the guards. They would want to investigate. He would need to make statements and sign documents with his name. He couldn’t. He was nameless. He looked at the girl, hoping it would be easier for her, “What is your name?”

She did not answer.

Alinash frowned. He couldn’t leave her outside. After all, he was found in a similar way. If it hadn’t been for Syrina taking him in, who knows what would have happened.

“Are you hungry? I can give you some food. I don’t have a lot. I have water too. Come here.” He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it.

She took it and unsteadily stood. Alinash helped her out of the space between the shacks and showed her inside.


End file.
